WA Police say no trouble so far as leavers gear up for first official night of celebrations in Dunsborough

Police say school leavers who have descended on the South West have so far stayed out of trouble as celebrations properly kick off on Monday night. As this years batch of leavers gear up for their first official night of partying at The Zone in Dunsborough, South West Police have reminded them to do the right thing and look out for their mates on and off the roads. Thousands of teenagers descended on the South West at the weekend and the region’s Superintendent Geoff Stewart said the arrivals so far have stayed out of trouble. “We’ve had a number of arrivals yesterday, there weren’t any real issues overnight and they appear to be a good bunch of kids,” he said. “We’ve got first night of The Zone tonight, we’ll see how that goes.” Supt Stewart said the number one priority for the force over the week is to make sure people are having fun and staying safe. “The biggest message going forward is to look after themselves, look after their mates and if they need help, reach out,” he said. “We’ll have a base of cops out at The Zone tonight, we’re just there to make sure that everyone’s safe and help anyone that needs assistance.” Supt Stewart said his biggest focus would be on road safety, not wanting this year’s celebrations to add to the State’s already high road toll this year. “Hopefully parents and caregivers have had chats with them particularly about road trauma. That’s my greatest fear. We’ve lost 20 people already this year on the roads in the South West and I don’t want to see that added to,” he said. Supt Stewart said he believes more young people will be extra cautious on our roads as the starting date for Tom’s Law looms. The new law —which will come into effect December 1— prohibits red P-Plate drivers from carrying more than one passenger at all times. “I think it’s definitely in their heads knowing they can’t have more than one person after the start date,” Supt Stewart said. “We already get families and friends that bring kids down or bring leavers down every year. People just decided to make that commitment to assisting them to stay safe. “Whether it changes, I’d say we’ll have a slight increase of vehicles because of the law next year, but it’s certainly in the heads of young people without a doubt.”